Pamela Laird
Senior clinician research fellow
BSc (physiotherapy) dist. PhD
Dr Pamela Laird is a senior clinician research fellow at Telethon Kids Institute and paediatric respiratory physiotherapist at Perth Children’s Hospital. Pamela has worked in the paediatric respiratory field for 30 years in both the USA and Australia. Pamela is passionate about improving respiratory health outcomes for children through improving early symptom recognition and health seeking by families, and early and effective management by clinicians for chronic respiratory diseases, especially in First Nations children. The national clinical translation of Pamela’s research to date has resulted in the development, implementation, and evaluation of lung health literacy materials for First Nations families and online training modules for clinicians in providing culturally secure lung disease evaluation and management.
Pamela is supported by a Raine Clinician Research Fellow and was recently awarded a national MRFF grant. Pamela is leading a national clinical trial, which will implement a strategy for better follow-up of First Nations children after they’ve been in hospital for respiratory infections, in a bid to halt the slide into more severe lung disease.
Projects
Improving lung health of Aboriginal children hospitalised with chest infections – Aboriginal Children’s Excellent (ACE) Lung Health Study
The ACE project is led by A/Prof André Schultz and aims to improve post-hospitalisation follow-up of Indigenous children hospitalised with acute lower respiratory tract infections.
Published research
Identifying barriers and facilitators for the effective diagnosis and provision of primary health care for otitis media from the perspective of carers of Aboriginal children
To identify the barriers and facilitators for timely detection and optimal management of otitis media in Aboriginal children in a primary care setting from the perspective of carers of Aboriginal children.
Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand position statement: The safe clinical use of sputum induction for bio-sampling of the lower airways in children and adults
Sputum induction is widely used in clinical settings for collection of biological samples from the lower airways. However, in recent years sputum induction has been associated with serious adverse events and even death. This position statement was commissioned by the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand to address major adverse events of two deaths associated with sputum induction that have occurred in Australia in 2021, and outlines best practice for the safe use of sputum induction.
Evaluation of the implementation and clinical effects of an intervention to improve medical follow-up and health outcomes for Aboriginal children hospitalised with chest infections
Aboriginal children hospitalised with acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) are at-risk of developing bronchiectasis, which can progress from untreated protracted bacterial bronchitis, often evidenced by a chronic (>4 weeks) wet cough following discharge. We aimed to facilitate follow-up for Aboriginal children hospitalised with ALRIs to provide optimal management and improve their respiratory health outcomes.
Spring-infusors: How a simple and small solution can create king-sized complexity
The aims of the study were to investigate family and hospital staff views about the use of spring-infusor devices for administration of intravenous antibiotic medications, to examine if the device is acceptable and feasible and to map a process for implementation.
Prevalence of chronic wet cough and protracted bacterial bronchitis in aboriginal children
Strategies to address reasons for and treatment of chronic wet cough and protracted bacterial bronchitis in young Aboriginal children in remote north Western Australia are required
Chronic wet cough in Aboriginal children: It's not just a cough
Results highlight the need for a culturally appropriate information and education of the importance of chronic wet cough in children
Education and Qualifications
- BSc (Physiotherapy), distinction – Curtin University of Technology
- PhD – University of Western Australia
Awards/Honours
- 2018-20 – NHMRC PhD scholarship, Australia
- 2018-20 – Stan & Jean Perron PhD top-up scholarship, Australia
- 2017-20 – Hot North PhD scholarship and top-up scholarship
- 2021-24 – Raine Clinician Research Fellowship
- MRFF Clinical trials grant CIA $1.97million for improving respiratory outcomes for First Nations children hospitalised with chest infections.
- RTP grant for to improve respiratory outcomes for First Nations children hospitalised with chest infections.
- WA near miss award 2022
Active Collaborations
- Professor Anne Chang, Paediatric Respiratory Physician Darwin and Brisbane. Collaborating on MRFF Clinical Trials grant to improve respiratory outcomes for First Nations children hospitalised with chest infections.
- Professor Maree Toombs, Professor Public Health Sydney University. Collaborating on MRFF Clinical Trials grant to improve respiratory outcomes for First Nations children hospitalised with chest infections.
- Associate Professor Roz Walker, Ngangk Yira Institute for Change, Murdoch University. Collaborating on MRFF Clinical Trials grant to improve respiratory outcomes for First Nations children hospitalised with chest infections.
- Associate Professor Fenella Gill, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University. Collaborating on the WA Health Translation Network: ESCALATION system and on MRFF Clinical Trials grant to improve respiratory outcomes for First Nations children hospitalised with chest infections.
- Associate Professor Richard Norman, Health Economist, Curtin University. Collaborating on MRFF Clinical Trials grant to improve respiratory outcomes for First Nations children hospitalised with chest infections.
- Dr Matt Cooper, Statistician The Kids Research Institute Australia. Collaborating on MRFF Clinical Trials grant to improve respiratory outcomes for First Nations children hospitalised with chest infections.
- A/Prof André Schultz, Program Head BREATH team, Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre; Collaborating on MRFF Clinical Trials grant to improve respiratory outcomes for First Nations children hospitalised with chest infections and NHMRC Partnership grant to prevent permanent lung disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.